Come Back, Fang
by Metal Flowers
Summary: After he left the Flock, Fang watched them from afar. He watches them joke and have fun. He watches them move on without him. He never planned on being seen.


Fang leaned back in his branch, situated fifty feet away from the campfire and happy noises. He put up his mind blocks and sat very, very still. No one could know that he was here. No one could see him. If he was found out, he'd have to leave so much earlier. Fang really did enjoy watching the Flock, and sometimes he found himself hoping that someone would just glance in his direction. Maybe he'd find the courage to stay.****

Fang watched as the Flock roasted marshmallows and laughed. They were at a campgrounds, so a campfire wasn't exactly out of the ordinary. Below, Iggy and Gazzy nudged each other as they put together wires and electronics, probably constructing explosives.****

Nudge and Angel were looking through several magazines, whispering excitedly to themselves. I didn't see Total, so I assumed that he was off visiting Akila. Fang then drug his eye to the two people he had purposely been ignoring.

Max and Dylan were sitting on a log. Dylan said something and Max laughed. What were they talking about, Fang wondered. That thought persisted in his mind and his curiosity itched so badly that he decided to risk it. Ever so slowly, he crept down the tree until he could hear what they were saying.

"Oh my gosh, Angel!" Nudge bubbled excitedly as she flipped through a _Seventeen_ magazine, "We should totally do your hair like this!"

"It would fit Max better," Angel remarked thoughtfully, looking from the magazine to Max.

"No way," Max said flippantly as she popped a marshmallow into her mouth. Dylan chuckled as he put an arm around her, and Fang had to suppress a possessive growl.

"You know Max's rule," Dylan the douche snickered, "If it can't be done while fighting M-Geeks, she won't do it."

"But we could fix your hair for the next interview!" Nudge insisted.

_That's not going to happen_, Fang thought in amusement before realizing, just too late, that his mind shields were down. Fang shoved them back up, lightning fast, but Angel had looked in his exact location, knowing that he was there.

Don't move, Fang told himself, She can't see you. Don't move. He eased his mind blocks down just the tiniest bit, so he could hear Angel's cries, but not be heard.

_Fang_, she called forlornly, her voice breathless with hope, _Fang? Are you there?_

Wait just a few more minutes, Fang told himself, When she loses interest, you can go.

_Fang?_

_Fang, I know you're there._

No, she couldn't know.

_I know that you're listening._

She couldn't possibly know.

_Fang?_

Don't answer, Fang restrained himself. He couldn't let his presence be known.

_We miss you. We all do._

They sure didn't act like it, he rolled his eyes.

_Even if no one shows it on the outside anymore._

Well, should you trust a manipulative mind reader?

_You still have a chance with Max, you know._

Ah, Angel, Fang smiled to himself. She really did know how to manipulate someone, but, as Fang watched Max lean lovingly into Dylan's chest, he knew that Angel was wrong. He really didn't have a chance anymore.

Alright, Fang sighed as he lowered his mind blocks: **Hey, Ange.**

_Fang! I knew it! Your mind blocks have really gotten stronger!_

**I'll come back,** he told her roughly, **but not right now.**

_Why not?_ Angel was a really good actress. As she chatted with me, she babbled with Nudge about hair colors and argued with Max about clothing.

**I have some stuff to sort through. I'll come back when…I've found something I care about, I guess,** Fang almost laughed at how cheesy that sounded, but held himself in silence.

_You've already found it,_ Angel giggled to herself, _She's your polar opposite. I've seen the future. You two get together._

Fang was curious. Who wouldn't be? **Who is it? Maya?**

_Not at all. She's a really __magnetic__ chick. Think your polar opposite,_ Angel hinted at something, but Fang didn't catch on, _Now go. Come back when you realize who you are, you idiot._

**Yes ma'am,** Fang complied, silently climbing the tree until he was high enough to fly away.


End file.
